Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – President Donald Trump’s administration has declared to the US Parliament it wants to sell 50 Lockheed Martin F-35 II fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The value reaches US $ 10 billion or Rp 146 trillion (assuming Rp. 14,600 / US $).
This news comes less than two months after the signing of the Abraham Accord, an agreement that builds diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE, which has opened up many opportunities in trade, technology and security cooperation.
The UAE has for years had its eye on the F-35, the most advanced fighter jet platform on the market, but the main hurdle is Israel, which the US promises to have a technological advantage over its neighbors and exclusive access to some of the best US weapons.
If approved, the sale would make the UAE the second country in the Middle East to acquire a fifth-generation U.S. fighter jet.
“The potential sale of the F-35 to the UAE indicates how serious the United Arab Emirates is in response to the Iranian threat,” Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official, told CNBC International on Saturday (31/10/2020).
Experts emphasize that the F-35 is not just a jet. This is the Pentagon’s most expensive procurement program to date and is considered to be the most advanced fighter of the one on the market.
This fighter jet can identify and eliminate threats before they are detected thanks to stealth technology, supersonic flight speed and top-secret passive tracking capabilities.
Currently the price of the F-35 jets is up to US $ 100 million. The capabilities of the F-35 are above that of Iranian jets. This gives the UAE the ability to retaliate against Iran.
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